CADDO NATION LEADS THE WAY WITH COMPREHENSIVE CANINE PROGRAM

Caddo Nation Canine Program Story - Audio with CC

The Caddo Nation Emergency Management Office has established itself as a regional leader with its comprehensive canine program, offering critical emergency response capabilities that benefit both tribal members and neighboring communities. According to Scott Anderson, Emergency Response Officer and Canine Handler for the Caddo Nation EMO, the program stands as the only tribal initiative west of Interstate 35 to maintain specialized canine units.

"West of I-35, we are the only tribe with a Canine Program," confirms Jerome McCalvin, Emergency Management Deputy Director for the Caddo Nation. This distinction has made the program a valuable asset that may soon be deployed more widely through regional partnerships.

REVITALIZING A VITAL RESOURCE

The current canine program represents a revival of an earlier initiative. "This is our second round of having canines," Anderson explained. The program previously included a live find dog named Stubby and a human remains detection dog named Jing, but those dogs were reclaimed by their training facility when Anderson temporarily left for another position.

Upon his return, Anderson worked with tribal leadership to reestablish the program. "I talked with Paulie, and she wanted to start the canine program back up," he said. The team first acquired Gretel, whom Anderson has raised since she was eight weeks old. Within the last year, they added a human remains detection dog, while the security department acquired Bella, a patrol dog.

SPECIALIZED SKILLS FOR EVERY EMERGENCY

The Caddo Nation canine program features three distinct types of service dogs, each with specialized training for different emergency scenarios:

Search and Rescue (Live Find): Gretel, the live find dog, is trained to locate missing persons who are still alive. "Once Gretel is certified, if someone's lost in a state park or a dementia patient or just a lost kid, we can go find them," Anderson explained. These dogs are crucial for quickly locating vulnerable missing persons.

Human Remains Detection: The program's cadaver dog, now identified as Hedy (previously referred to as Hettie), was imported from Germany with championship bloodlines. "Hedy, our cadaver dog, would be for deceased persons. Somebody got buried or murdered, or they've just been gone for a long time and died somewhere—she could go find them," Anderson noted.

Patrol and Security: Bella, the patrol dog, enhances the safety of tribal facilities and personnel. "She would be used for bite instances. She could go in and clear a building if someone was in there," Anderson said. "Instead of sending our people in to get harmed, you could send the dog in."

Bella - Patrol and Security Dog

ADVANCED TRAINING SHOWS IMPRESSIVE PROGRESS

The program's success hinges on professional training and certification. The dogs train weekly with an experienced handler in Lawton who has been training working dogs for over 40 years. "Best trainer I've ever found," Anderson emphasized.

Hettie in training! Shared from Zehfuss Dog Training @zehfussdogtraining.com

Anderson has been conducting extensive training with the dogs, particularly with Gretel, who has made significant progress in her search and rescue capabilities.

"I've done training sessions with Gretel at Fort Cobb State Park and with some of our employees here," Anderson explained. "These are blind searches where someone hides, Gretel smells an article with their scent, and then finds them."

The training scenarios have become increasingly sophisticated. In a recent exercise, Gretel demonstrated her problem-solving abilities: "My trainer was sitting on top of a slide. Gretel ran along the fence row, got past him, came back, and started smelling around the slide because his scent collected due to the wind direction. She walked under the slide, and you could tell she was smelling but couldn't locate him. She jumped on the slide, looked up, and found him."

In another training scenario, a tribal employee hid in an open field behind the complex. "I gave Gretel a sweatshirt with the person's scent, and she found them," Anderson said.

Hedy, the Human Remains Detection dog, is beginning specialized training with scent boxes. "I've completed my scent boxes with dry bone, human blood, and other materials," Anderson noted. "We put them in boxes, and she'll go find them."

Anderson expects both Gretel and Hedy to achieve certification within the next year, an important milestone that will allow their evidence to stand up in court if necessary. "Since our dogs aren't certified, if I have to go to court, that could be thrown out just because they're not certified," he explained.

PARTNERSHIPS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT

Though still in the certification process, the Caddo Nation canines are already receiving requests for assistance. Anderson reported recent calls from both the Anadarko Police Department and the Caddo County Sheriff's Office seeking the team's specialized skills.

"I've spoken with Anadarko Police Department and Caddo County Sheriff's Office, and they all want to see what she's able to do," Anderson said. "Even though she's not technically certified yet, having officers witness her capabilities provides validity if a case goes to court."

This approach creates important legal foundations for the program's operations. "If she has to go on a search and the case goes to court, you have that officer's testimony to state, 'I've seen what that dog can do,'" Anderson explained. "An officer's word holds more weight in court."

DEPLOYMENT PROTOCOLS ESTABLISHED

"Scott has created an official protocol and policy for deployment that was provided to the sheriff's office, BIA, and the dispatch center," McCalvin explained. "They know the process, how he's to be notified, what information they need."

These protocols include forms that requesting agencies must sign to initiate the use of the dogs and to release them when the operation is complete. If an emergency situation requires canine assistance, agencies can contact the Caddo Nation Emergency Management Office directly. "Just call us," Anderson said. "We'll respond according to established procedures."

EXPANDING REGIONAL IMPACT

The Caddo Nation EMO has established working relationships with local law enforcement agencies and plans to expand its reach. "I want to be able to be used nationally," Anderson stated. "That's my goal for this program—if somebody in California needs our help, we'll go."

The K9 program may soon expand its reach even further. The Cherokee Nation recently received a five-year, $12 million grant to create a supplemental response team for tribal nations, similar to FEMA response teams but exclusively for tribes.

"We've been invited to participate, along with our canine program," McCalvin said. "This is going to be like FEMA response teams that will go only to tribes."

This partnership could see the Caddo Nation's K9 unit deployed to assist in emergencies throughout any of the ten FEMA regions across the country. "They could be asked to go deploy wherever a request comes in," McCalvin explained. "Any FEMA Region that would need this capability could make a request through Cherokee Nation for our canine unit."

A MISSION OF COMPASSION AND SERVICE

At its core, the canine program embodies the Caddo Nation's commitment to serving not only its own people but all neighboring communities in times of need.

"My main goal with this is, if you go camping with somebody, let's say your mom or your son or daughter gets lost, you want them back as soon as possible," Anderson shared. "And that's our whole goal, is to just make sure to reunite people with where they need to be. And even if it's a deceased person, you still want to be able to get the loved ones back to them so they can make the final arrangements they need to."

"Our goal for the nation is that it's all about people," McCalvin said. "What can we do for the people? What can we provide? We know that emergencies are going to happen, and we need to be ready to meet their needs."

STATE-OF-THE-ART CARE FACILITIES

The program maintains professional kennels for the canine team, featuring insulated structures with proper climate control. "That kennel has air conditioning for hot days," Anderson explained. "They're kennels, they're insulated. They have walls on them, they're not just studs, so there's insulation and walls for the wintertime."

Anderson visits and works with the dogs six days a week, ensuring they receive consistent training and care. Future plans include expanding the kennels to provide even more space for the dogs.

For more information about the Caddo Nation Emergency Management Office's K9 program, contact Scott Anderson 405.656.2344.